by Scott Yanow
Al Caiola (whose name is misspelled Caiora throughout the outside of this CD, although it is correct on the inside!) was a studio guitarist who led some nice easy listening melodic jazz dates during 1955-60. On this budget release, he is heard on four numbers apiece with a pair of overlapping quintets featuring either Romeo Penque (on flute, bass clarinet, and English horn) or trumpeter Bernie Privin; Hank Jones or Ronnie Ball on piano; bassist Clyde Lombardi (listed as Clyde Rombaldi!); and drummer Kenny Clarke. The music, which includes &Don't Worry About Me,& &Early Autumn,& and &Indian Summer,& is light and easy to enjoy, serving both as superior background music and melodic jazz. It is too bad that the packaging (which credits most of the standards, including &Serenade to Blue& and &Early Autumn,& to &Caiora&) basically stinks! Hopefully someday this set, and Caiola's earlier Savoy album, will be reissued in much more coherent form; they could easily be repackaged as a single CD.